Engine fuel heater



y 15, 1934- J. w. MICMASTER ET AL 1,958,833

ENGINE FUEL HEATER Filed Oct. 10, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invenlor 7oza WMMmszer furiz's Wilda? zz-W405? Patented May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ENGINE FUEL HEATER Application October 10, 1933, Serial No. 693,034

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in engine fuel heaters and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character embodying a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts through the medium of which the fuel may be pre-heated to the desired or necessary degree before reaching the carbureter, thus permitting the use of comparatively low grade fuels.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a fuel heater of the aforementioned character which may be conveniently regulated as desired to meet various conditions such as 5' weather. various grades of fuels or which may be rendered inoperative when desired.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an engine fuel heater of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, compact, and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 36 Figure 1 is a View in side elevation, showing a fuel heater in accordance with the present invention installed on a tractor.

Figure 2 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the invention.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation. Figure 4 is a view in rear elevation of the lower portion of the device.

Figure 5 is a detail view in side elevation of the coil.

Figure 6 is a view in vertical transverse section, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 2. Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a substan 4'5 tially tubular heating chamber 1 which is closed at its rear end by a threaded plug 2. Mounted in the heating chamber 1 is a coil 3 which comprises a pair of elongated loops extending substantially the length of said heating chamber.

'50 As illustrated to advantage in Figure 6 of the drawings, the elongated loops constituting the coil 3 are arranged at right angles to each other, thus assuring maximum circulation therearoimd. Pipes 4 and 5 extend from the ends of the coil 3 through the plug 2, the former extending to the fuel tank 6 on the tractor which is designated generally by the reference numeral '7, the latter extending to the carbureter 8 of the tractor engine 9. The pipes at and 5 may be anchored or secured in the plug 2 by suitable means, such as collars 10. 50

The reference numeral 11 designates an elongated, tubular valve chamber which extends in spaced parallelism to the heating chamber 1. At its forward end, the heating chamber 1 communicates with the corresponding end of the valve chamber 11 for receiving exhaust gases therefrom through a connection 12. The heating chamber 1 communicates, adjacent its rear end, with a corresponding portion of the valve chamber 11 for returning the exhaust gases thereto through a connection 13.

At a point intermediate the connections 12 and 13, the valve chamber 11 has connected thereto a pipe 14 from the exhaust manifold 15 of the engine 9. Connected to the open rear end of the valve chamber 11 is a discharge stack 16.

Operatively mounted in the valve chamber 11 are butterfly valves 17 and 18, the former being located between the inlet pipe 14 and the connection 12, the latter being located between said inlet pipe let and the connection 13. As best seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, when the valve 17 is open the valve 18 is closed and vice versa. A link 19 (see Figure 1) connects the valves 17 and 18 for operation in unison. A suitable rod 20 is provided for manually adjusting the valves 17 and 18 from the operators seat of the tractor 7.

Briefly, the operation of the heater is as follows:

The engine is started on gasolene or similar comparatively high grade fuel from a suitable supply tank on the tractor and the comparatively low grade fuel from the tank 6 is permitted to fill the coil 3. With the valve 17 in open position and the valve 18 in closed position, exhaust gases from the manifold 15 pass through the pipe 14 into the valve chamber 11, through the connection 12, through the heating chamber 1 where the low grade fuel in the coil 3 is heated, then through the connection 13 back into the valve chamber 11 from which it is exhausted through the stack 16. When the low grade fuel has been sufiiciently heated, the gasolene is cut off from the carbureter 8 and the low grade fuel is permitted to enter said carbureter and the engine continues to run thereon. As will be apparent, the volume of exhaust gases passing through the heating chamber 1 may be regulated as desired by adjusting the valves 1'7 and 18. When it is desired to render the heater inoperative, the valve 17 is closed and the valve 18 is opened. The heating chamber 1 is thus cut out and the exhaust gases from the pipe 14 pass directly through the valve chamber 11 past the open valve 18 to the discharge stack 16. If necessary or desirable, a suitable control valve may be provided in the pipe 5 between the heater and the carbureter 8 for cutting off the low grade fuel from said carbureter when desired.

It is believed that the many advantages of an engine fuel heater constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An engine fuel heater comprising an elongated, substantially tubular valve chamber, a discharge stack connected to one end of said valve chamber, a supply pipe connecting an intermediate portion of the valve chamber with the exhaust manifold of the engine for receiving exhaust gases therefrom, an elongated, substantially tubular heating chamber extending in spaced parallelism to the valve chamber, a sup ply connection extending between the heating chamber and the other end of the valve chamber, a return connection extending between the heating chamber and the valve chamber at a point between the supply and discharge pipes, control valves mounted in the valve chamber between the supply pipe and the connections, one of said valves being open when the other of said valves is closed, means connecting the valves together for operation in unison, and a fuel conducting coil mounted in the heating chamber, said coil comprising a pair of integral, elongated loops positioned substantially at right angles to each other.

2. A fuel heater for internal combustion engines including an exhaust manifold, comprising an elongated valve chamber having an outlet at one end and an inlet at an intermediate point for receiving exhaust gases from the manifold, a heating chamber, a fuel coil in the heating chamber, an intake conduit connecting the heating chamber with the other end of the 'valve chamber, an exhaust conduit connecting the heating chamber with the valve chamber between the outlet and inlet thereof, a control valve mounted in the valve chamber between the inlet thereof and said exhaust conduit, and a control valve in the valve chamber between the inlet thereof and said intake conduit.

\ JOHN W. MCMASTER.

CURTIS WALLACE.

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